My Friend Over the Phone

Chapter 41

"Are you okay, Cross? You've been staring at that flame thingy for an hour."

    Cross didn't spare Killer a glance, or even an acknowledgement. The knight's heterochromatic eyes were highlighted by the spirit floating around inside the glass jar they trapped in. Killer waited for an answer, then sighed after receiving none. He returned to the couch where Dust sat, plopping down next to the seemingly distracted skeleton. The three of them returned to the castle shortly after Nightmare's death, and the place was a dusty mess. What little furniture wasn't packed up and moved were draped in white cloths, stopping the dust from ruining the fabric. They only uncovered one of the couches in the main parlour to sit on, refusing to touch anything else. Killer wasn't sure why he was so adverse to uncovering anything and semi-returning it back to its former glory. Perhaps because this castle wouldn't be the same without its king.

    Cross and Killer retrieved the strange purple flame left in the mess of the former Underswap copy. It wasn't a soul, normal or apple-shaped like their boss', nor did whatever it was have one. But yet, it felt like it had some sort of life. Cross couldn't stop looking at it, mesmerized by its dance within the glass jar. Though he got the feeling the thing was unsettled by something. It swirled around constantly, not resting for even a second like it was trying to find an escape. Maybe it would run away if he opened the jar. So he didn't.

    Dust stared blankly at one of the large room's walls, where a flatscreen television used to be seated atop of the covered dark oak stand. Past memories of laughing filtered in and out of Killer's ear ducts, making his eye sockets sting. He missed Dream, his jokes always used to lighten his mood. He was worried about Cross. About Dream, and Dust as well, and he didn't know what to do. Everyone who was supposed to know what they were doing were either at a loss or they were dead. He looked over at Dust, the sunlight filtering in through the cracked open curtains highlighting the dried magic that trailed from his eye sockets and down his cheekbones. His phalanges twitched where they rested on his legs, the normally present and visible red and blue electricity coursing between them absent. One of his hands raised up to readjust the tattered red scarf that always wrapped around his neck, the keepsake from his old world hiding deep scratch marks along his neck.

    Killer waved his hand gently so Dust would know it was there, before gently placing it on his own hand. "How are you doing?"

    Dust turned to him, thinking for a second. "I saw them. Error was there too."

    He sighed. Dust was still adamant about seeing them, huh? He didn't really believe him as much as he wanted to, after all, Dust lived inside a mind full of delusions. His old life really messed him up, and not even Nightmare could take away the pain that resided inside his solider. "How are they? Are they looking for us?" Killer asked. No problem humouring him a bit, he supposes, just like with Not-Papyrus. It was a better coping mechanism than the way he dealt with losing his own family, in a way he would never be able to explain, not even to himself.

"Yeah. They miss home."

    Dust looked away from Killer, out of the corner of his eye sockets. Horror stared back at him. He could see him look playfully amused for a moment, though there was no recognition in his remaining socket. It was like he didn't exist to Horror anymore, and that frightened him more than the idea of having lost him for good. It was selfish to think that way, he knew, but he couldn't stand seeing Horror dissociated from him like this. It brought back a feeling he had a lot when he first started working for Nightmare, before he cared about them. He didn't miss this feeling.

    Killer nodded, thinking about getting up, but deciding against it. A thought occurred to him, and for some reason, even if he didn't believe Dust, he needed to know. "Hey.. do you see Dream there with them, by any chance?" His voice broke when he spoke, despite trying to sound lighthearted. That made Dust finally focus on him. He moved closer to Killer, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Dream is alright Killer. And although I may not see him, do you know how I know that? Because he's the Guardian of Positivity. He's lived for 500 years, travelling through Multiverses good and bad. He's got a strong spirit too. He got trapped in stone by his own brother, and even then, he still believed in him. He believed Ink had the capability to be good, and even if he was wrong, it takes a strong-willed person to be confident in someone like that. Now, you need to be confident in him. You know what he can do, yeah? We'll find him if he needs help, I know it."

    Meanwhile, Cross eyed the flame in the jar nervously. It swirled around frantically, ramming itself into the glass walls surrounding it and tipping it every which way. Cross scrambled to take hold of the jar into his hands so it wouldn't fall over ad break. "Uh, guys??" He called, standing up and walking over the couch. Killer separated from Dust, and they both looked at the situation. "Holy shit," Killer said, looking at the frantically moving spirit in the container.

"It.. they?? Just started doing this. Why are they reacting like that?? What are they reacting to?"

"I don't know, but whatever it is, we should probably check it out. Right Dust?"

"...Yeah. Spirits are more sensitive to the environment than we are. If something's not right, they'll know. We should listen to them."

    Cross looked at the jar in his hands, knowing what he'll have to do. He slowly unscrewed the lid of the container, setting the spirit free. Killer already had his hands up, ready to create a force field in case they tried to speed away, but it didn't. Instead it hovered towards Cross, keeping its breakneck speed as it sped around his skull over and over as if it was trying to tell him something. Eventually it stopped and made a small noise similar to a huff, and then tugged on Cross' arm twice, before pulling it.

    "Jeez Cross, you're so slow. I thought Royal Guards like you were supposed to be fast," Nightmare teased, keeping a firm hold on his arm as he led them somewhere in the forests surrounding Dreamtale. "It isn't my fault that today you decided to become Speedy Gonzales." Nightmare snorted. "Ándale, ándale!" He tugged Cross' arm twice, before suddenly turning them in another direction. Cross tripped over his own feet and the wild bushes and branches littering the ground, only to thankfully be caught by his boyfriend's extra limbs. "Oh gee, thanks for the warning." "Oh come on, I gave you the super-obvious-arm-signal! You know, the one that means 'follow me'?"

    Follow me, Cross thought. He looked at the flame. It couldn't be, could it? He stepped forward, letting the spirit pull him. He turned to his friends and nodded. They nodded back with a smile.

    Nightmare led him to a clearing. There was a single boulder in the center of the open space, the grass having been the most covered from the light snowfall earlier that morning from the lack of tree heads protecting it from above. "This is my favourite spot in the whole forest," He let go of his arm, walking over to the rock, "because in my childhood, I would come here and no one could find me. Come over here." Cross did so, his boots making marks in the previously untouched snow behind him. "Even if the old townspeople did come this way, this boulder comes with a secret hideout." Nightmare looked almost giddy as he pushed Cross to reach inside. He pulled out a box with purple wrapping paper and a red ribbon tied around it, made into the neatest bow he's ever seen on top. "It's for you. Merry Christmas, Cross." He smiled, opening the box. "I thought you didn't celebrate Christmas." "Well, I didn't, but I saw how much fun you guys seemed to have with the holiday even If I had rules against it, so I'm going to allow it this one time." Cross snorted, tearing off the last of paper and opening the box. "...A new set of daggers?" "I saw you eyeing them in Anothertale's stores the other day, plus your old ones look like they're about to crumble." Cross grinned, standing up again and kissing Nightmare on the cheek. "Thanks babe, I love them." "Damn, maybe I'll allow gift-giving more often if this's what I get in return." Cross laughed. "Oh really? Well, don't tell that to Killer, he'll be trying to make out with you everywhere you go." "And you'd let him?" "No, I'd turn his insides into outsides." Nightmare sighed, sitting down on the rock. "Ah, that's why I love you." Cross sat down next to him, leaning into his side. "I love you too."

A/N: Good evening! I finally wrote something, dang

Sorry the part is so short, I meant for it to go a little longer, but I wanted to get something out for Christmas, so here it is! Next part (hopefully) coming soon! And not at 11:30 at night! Happy holidays everyone!